Personal Safety and Security on the Metropolitan Train System
Overview
This audit examined how successful Victoria Police (VicPol) and the Department of Transport (the department) had been from mid-2005 in reducing crime on Melbourne’s train system and making passengers feel safe when travelling.
VicPol and the department, through its supervision of the train franchisee, developed effective frameworks in 2006 and 2008 respectively for managing crime on the metropolitan train system.
After crime increased in 2006–07 and 2007–08, the strategies employed since have been effective in reducing crime and provide the basis to extend these gains in the future.
One area for improvement is the evaluation of the projects the department directly funds to improve personal safety. There was insufficient evidence to demonstrate whether these projects have achieved their intended outcomes.
While VicPol and the department worked effectively to coordinate their day-to-day operations, reinstatement of high-level meetings such as the Safe Travel Taskforce would improve the effectiveness of both agencies. At a public transport safety forum held on 22 March 2010, VicPol and the department committed to do this and now need to follow through on this commitment.
Approaches for managing perceptions of safety were less effective, relying mostly on reducing crime to improve how safe passengers feel. This has not improved passengers’ perceptions of safety. A more rigorous and evidence-based approach needs to be developed and applied.